"At least they didn't leave me completely unarmed," Aiden muttered to himself, tucking the pistol into the small of his back. His body, however, suddenly froze as sounds of a scuffle echoed from above.

Frowning, Aiden waited for a few seconds before a thud resounded. A beautiful body fell from the central void of the spiral staircase, crashing heavily to the ground.

Aiden made no move, nor did he react at all. He was as silent as a statue, silently observing the body a few steps away.

It was the body of a young woman, perhaps 17 or 18 years old, with a curvaceous figure, lying in a pool of blood. Her dark clothing was stained crimson, spreading into a macabre pattern on the floor. Her blue eyes were wide open in terror, her face frozen in a look of horror.

"So, I'm not the only hunter here? Are these seemingly underage girls my targets?" Aiden's combat knife silently twirled in his hand. He listened intently to the faint sounds, as the grand palace seemed to fall back into silence.

Aiden knew the next 24 hours would be grueling.

"How many of your students do you think will survive?" An officer outside the palace chuckled, turning to look at the silent Winter Soldier.

The Winter Soldier gave the officer a brief glance before settling into the military vehicle to monitor the surveillance feed.

The palace was surrounded by soldiers at the ready, their rifles and cannons more than mere decorations as they scrutinized the building. For a moment, only the sound of the breeze remained.

Inside the seemingly peaceful palace, however, the atmosphere gradually turned explosive—not in terms of loud sounds or chaotic scenes but because...

Aiden searched cautiously and had already encountered three bodies. This eerie situation left him somewhat at a loss. Were these truly his targets? Or could he just find a place to hide for 24 hours and then stroll out of the palace?

Without exception, the next two bodies Aiden found were also female, one looking as young as 13 or 14, like a bud yet to bloom that withered before its time.

There was someone ahead. Aiden's keen senses detected an enemy hiding behind the grand clock. She might have been concealed well, silent and still, but the breeze that entered through an open window not only lifted the curtains but also a strand of her hair.

Aiden's pistol lacked a silencer, and he knew what firing it would entail. Thus, everything had to be done in the shadows.

Unexpectedly, a loud burst of gunfire erupted, not from a handgun but a submachine gun, spitting short bursts of flame. The sound came from the floor above.

The grand clock shattered into pieces, and the small figure hiding behind it slumped to the ground. A whistle sounded from above, followed by a sultry voice, "Shh~ I've heard about your prowess. I hope you like the gift I sent you."

With that, Aiden heard hurried footsteps growing fainter. Throughout, he never saw the woman's figure.

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"Damn it," Aiden quickly ran to the left.

Two gunshots rang out, striking the doorframe with precision.

Aiden realized the noise had attracted a pack of hunters. In the palace, it seemed the roles of hunter and prey were constantly shifting.

The group of beautiful assassins seemed to have different temperaments. Aiden had clearly encountered one with a fiery disposition who favored overwhelming firepower.

Pressed against the wall, Aiden counted softly, "Three, two, one."

At the last moment, he stepped out, "Whoever trained you clearly overlooked the necessity of 'calm.'"

The corridor was empty, but a grenade flew from around the corner, likely intended to bounce off the wall and into Aiden's vicinity.

Yet, the moment the grenade entered Aiden's line of sight, it was halted by a bullet and exploded in a thunderous roar. The shockwave hurled the petite body hidden behind the corner.

"Oh, this is getting interesting," a soldier outside the palace whispered, most soldiers' eyes focused on the southeastern corner of the building. They didn't perceive the explosion as a threat but rather as a firework.

"You wouldn't give up any information even if you died, would you?" While people outside enjoyed the spectacle, those inside struggled for survival. Aiden stumbled into a wooden door, and the darkness inside offered him a moment of respite.

In a flash, the young woman had been executed, not by Aiden but by someone who had arrived later. Footsteps approached from outside, more than one person.

Wood splintered as the door was riddled with bullet holes, allowing light and drifting dust to enter.

In an instant, the door was ruined, ready to be kicked open by those outside. Aiden spoke again, "By the way, when did you learn to cooperate? You should know that hunting me down alone would yield better grades than sharing the credit with three, at least in terms of results."

An eerie silence fell outside, then after a few seconds, a crisp female voice responded, "That's not for you to worry about."

Several grenades were then tossed through the gap in the shattered door.

"Heh," Aiden chuckled, his smile tinged with resignation. The high-explosive grenades could have torn his body to shreds, yet they remained suspended mid-air before flying back out the way they came.

The three disunited girls outside didn't have time to dream about the future; their eyes widened in shock as they quickly retreated.

Boom!

Aiden crouched behind the wall, and after the violent explosion, his left hand was ready. He grabbed a wooden desk and hurled it towards the broken door, striding out, gunshots ringing out.

In less than a second, three twitching bodies became genuine corpses.

A subtle click sounded by Aiden's ear, but his mind was blank. He couldn't fathom the noise originating from the storeroom he had just hidden in. Had someone been there all along, shrouded in total darkness, even as he entered and restrained themselves from attacking?

Instinctively raising his arms to protect his head, bullets pummeled his folded arms, blood spurting from the wounds.

With a forceful push, the girl lurking in the dark stumbled, her submachine gun flying out of her hands. She was prepared, though, and didn't show the shock one might expect. Using the momentum of the gun's departure, she rolled on the ground and got up, a tactical knife in hand, aimed straight for Aiden's heart.

"Hello again, false myth," that sultry voice taunted, now tinged with crazed excitement.

But what greeted her was a powerful kick. Aiden's long legs had the advantage, and the girl's short reach failed to touch his heart first. Instead, she was slammed hard against the wall.

Bang!

A bullet from Aiden's hand found its mark, not on the dazed girl but on an inconspicuous door to the east. A groan followed from afar.

"Why 'false myth'?" Aiden strode forward, grabbing the girl's red hair, lifting her into the air. The pain coursing through his body and the scent of blood made his own blood boil. In truth, it had been a long time since he had been hurt.

In all his missions, Aiden had never been so beleaguered. His current state was due to the formidable skills of the Black Widows and their overwhelming numbers.

"I was merely inquiring and had no interest in an answer, but now..." Aiden's speech was cut short, his body suddenly stiffening, his expression turning to shock. Was this the Black Widow?

The young Black Widow? Natasha Romanoff?